


(not so) Silent Lucidity

by amethyst-noir (Arbonne)



Series: Stephen Strange Bingo Collection [17]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awkward Crush, Awkward Flirting, Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Insecure Stephen Strange, Light Angst, Light-Hearted, M/M, Stephen Strange Bingo 2019, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 14:18:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20259466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir
Summary: It was a such a shame, Tony decided after a few meetings, that the wizard seemed to be mute when not confronted with life-and-death scenarios. He’d tried pretty much everything to tempt the guy out of his shell but nothing worked, not even the famous Stark charm.(Aka Stephen loses his words when in front of his crush. Hilarity ensues.)





	(not so) Silent Lucidity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheLadyStrange](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLadyStrange/gifts).

> @mistressstrange sent me this fun ask:  
_Prompt: Tony thinking Stephen is mute, because every time Tony is in the room with him its basically Stephen.exe has stopped working due to the absolute beauty that is Tony Stark._
> 
> It took me a while but in the end I couldn't resist. Just so you know, there are a few sexual references in here but they are very mild and packaged in awkward flirting.  
The title is taken from Queensrÿche's _Silent Lucidity_. I just couldn't resist the () add-on.  
@stephenstrangebingo prompt: _Sling Ring_

It was a such a shame, Tony decided after a few meetings, that the wizard seemed to be mute when not confronted with life-and-death scenarios. He’d tried pretty much everything to tempt the guy out of his shell but nothing worked, not even the famous Stark charm.

He _knew_ that Strange could speak, he’d heard his beautiful, deep voice a couple of times during battle, but he was always gone as soon as the dust had settled and before Tony could hunt him down.

Everytime they were in a meeting with the other Avengers, Strange always sat there with his arms crossed, looking annoyed and bored in equal measures, and refused to communicate beyond a few terse answers. And those mostly happened when Tony wasn’t present so he could hear that elusive voice only on surveillance videos or while he was busy not dying. 

Maybe the guy was really unable to speak and used magic to do it? Maybe it just took a lot out of him and so he didn’t do it except when really necessary?

_Or maybe_, his inner Howard whispered, _he just doesn’t think you’re worth talking to._

_Shut up!_ Tony always fired back, while hating himself for still not having exorcised this particular ghost from his mind. _One day_, he promised himself over and over again, _I'll get you alone, wizard, and we'll **talk**._ He was open to ways of talking that didn't exactly involve speech, actually. Body language could work wonders and he'd been admiring Strange's body and elegant movements for a while now.

When he finally got his chance after yet another boring meeting he was determined to use it. "Hey, Stephen! Wait for me!" he called after the retreating wizard - _Sorcerer_, he reminded himself, _no use in alienating the guy even more_ \- and almost ran to catch up with him. He put on his best smile the moment Stephen turned around to look at him.

* * *

_Oh, **fuck**._ Stephen hated many things in the universe, but especially the way his brain shut down the moment he laid eyes on Tony Stark. There was nothing left of his legendary intellect, only some pathetic longing to be looked at and seen not only as a comrade but as something more.

Granted, there was a hefty dose of lust involved but who could blame him? Tony was _gorgeous_ in mind and body and so much Stephen's type that it almost hurt to look at him. So gorgeous in fact that not only his brain but also his speech fled the moment Tony graced him with his undivided attention. He nervously fumbled for his sling ring while smiling uncertainly at Tony. "What do I owe the pleasure of you running after me?" he wanted to say, amongst a lot of other things. An almost silent and disturbingly shy "Hi?" came out of his mouth instead. He wanted to curl up and let a black hole swallow him a nano-second later.

"What's up, doc? Cat got your tongue? Hey, Red." Tony held out his hands towards the Cloak as if it were a cat and smiled in the cutest way possible when the Cloak reached out to touch him. Stephen panicked and tried to take a step back but only managed to drop his sling ring in the process.

"Fuck!"

"Oh, so he has a voice. Nice to hear it, even though I object to the choice of words," Tony said in a teasing tone, still beaming at him.

Stephen had enough and snapped back without thinking. "It's your fault for stalking me. Be thankful that I only cursed and didn't put you into the Mirror Dimension."

"Oh, Mirror Dimension? Sounds interesting. And kinky. Maybe not on our first date. But on the second? I'm totally game."

"The Mirror Dimension is not for mere mortals." Stephen made sure to look as arrogant as possible as he mustered Tony intently. "I'm not sure you'd be able to take it." He could feel the Cloak's amusement and permitted a small smile to thaw his icy demeanor.

_That_ only shut Tony up for a second or so. "I can take a lot of things," he murmured back in a much deeper voice than he usually used. "And I'm always willing to try new things." The way he looked at Stephen made his intentions clear.

It was no use trying to flee now, his voice was back and it wanted to be heard. "Sounds good. So am I."

"Great at taking… _things_… or always willing to try new things?"

Damn Tony and his quick wit. But Stephen way too was far into it by now and refused to be embarrassed. "Both, actually," he answered and watched with fascination as Tony shivered at his words. His fascination only grew as Tony went to his knees in front of him and picked up his sling ring without breaking eye-contact for a single second. "Thank you," he whispered as Tony carefully laid the ring into his open palm. He only broke and looked away to watch Stephen carefully folding his fingers over it to hold it as secure as possible with his fucked-up hand.

"No problem. Always happy to go down on my knees for a worthy cause." Tony was still on his knees, looking up at Stephen. "So, since you can actually talk," Stephen suppressed a wince at that unsubtle reminder, "how about we meet tonight and… _discuss_ this Mirror Dimension thing?"

Oh, Tony was going to be _so_ disappointed when he discovered what the Mirror Dimension really was. Stephen smiled. Except, maybe, he could…

"Tell me where and when and I'll be there."

Tony got up in one fluid, elegant move that almost took Stephen's breath away. He looked at Stephen's right hand where he was still holding on to the ring. "Stark Tower," he decided. "Penthouse. We'll be undisturbed and able to talk about everything without worrying about who might overhear us." His tone made clear that he really meant those words and not only the second meaning hidden behind them.

"It's a date," Stephen confirmed.

"Great. And make sure to bring your voice with you. I've been waiting so long for you to bring it along and I rather like it, Ariel." He laughed, blew a kiss at Stephen and turned around before Stephen could find a coherent response to that nickname.

"You'll get exactly what you deserve for that, douchebag!" Stephen called after him.

"Promises, promises! Looking forward to it, asshole!"

"He'll pay for this," he murmured to the Cloak, forgetting about Tony's direct link to FRIDAY and the fact that she was listening in to everything happening in the Compound. He gathered the frayed remains of his dignity together and slipped the sling ring onto his hurting fingers. "I'll put him into the Mirror Dimension and let him stew there until he begs for mercy."

The Cloak just shook in silent laughter and wrapped his wrist up to stabilize it to form a portal.

"We'll see who will beg whom for mercy in the end! You seem to be the type!"

He heard Tony's response just before the portal collapsed. By the time he'd turned around it was already closed and Stephen was left to stew on his reply.

Great, now he had - he checked his watch - six long, agonizing hours to think about a proper comeback. He could barely wait to threw it at Tony's head. Maybe together with a portal or something.

Stephen caught a glimpse of himself in the big hallway mirror of the Sanctum and came to an abrupt standstill. "Happiness suits you," Christine had told him years ago but it had been so long since he saw such an open and happy expression on his face that he barely recognized himself now. The collar of the Cloak waved at him in support.

Maybe he would beg, maybe it would be Tony. Maybe both of them would. No matter how it would go, Stephen was looking forwards to it.

"This is going to be fun." He didn't need a Time Stone to know that much. He touched his smiling mirror image with trembling fingers and reveled in the unfamiliar rush of anticipation that had taken over him.

**Author's Note:**

> And here the harmless part ends and you are all free to imagine how the date will go, depending on your preferences. 😉
> 
> [tumblr post](https://amethyst-noir.tumblr.com/post/187031491146/silent-lucidity/) | thank you so much for reading 💞


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